Chapter 2 Dialogue 3

As everyone begins settling in for the evening, Vaelyn approaches the door to Jasiri and the kobolds’ shared quarters. He waits outside for a couple of minutes, attempting to collect his thoughts before knocking on the door.

Vaelyn: “Jasiri, are you there? Do you have a moment for a question or two?”

Jasiri’s voice booms from within.

Jasiri: “Yes, sorry, just working on something! Come in!”

Vaelyn steps inside carrying Vermin Slayer in his hand, and keeping an eye out for kobolds in the room. He has removed his armor but still wears a dark, heavy shirt.

V: “Jasiri, I think it makes sense for you to take this sword now.”

Vaelyn extends his hands, Vermin Slayer laying across both his arms.

Jasiri looks up from a small altar he appears to have been setting up in the room while it’s empty of kobolds. He looks to Vaelyn with a cocked eyebrow.

J: “Good evening to you as well Vaelyn. Why so eager to be rid of it?”

Vaelyn continues holding out the sword, standing as a statue holding an offering.

V: “It makes no sense for me to carry it. Everyone, and everything, has a purpose. The sword does not aid me in my purpose, nor I in its. I believe you will not have the same issue”

Jasiri chuckles as he continues to work on the shrine.

J: “I believe in fact, I would have a similar issue. Not the same, perhaps, but quite similar. At the moment, the sword would be no use to me. I cannot be seen carrying a weapon like this around. Law states I cannot wield magical artifacts like this, and to walk around in a city as corrupt as this… Well…”

He begins to light a number of candles on the shrine.

J: “You know how people can be mistreated based on their appearance. Be thankful that you can hide your ears. For me to be seen carrying something like that, would be to invite even more problems than we’ve already encountered.”

V: “In carrying it around for the past day, I have determined it is beneficial to use against rats and the like. Seeing our current trajectory, it seems likely we will run into more. Seems a waste to not utilize the tools we have at our disposal. If you are worried about being see with it, I can continue carrying it for you in the open and you can carry it in the sewers. Seems a logical solution to both of our problems, no?”

Vaelyn still has not moved, no muscle twitches, no rise and fall of his chest. The dancing flames on the shrine’s candles seem to have more life than he does.

Jasiri chuckles. He can’t help but think that at times Vaelyn seems even more robotic than Excalibur.

J: “I was about to suggest the same. If it’s no bother to you, I think that would be the best for the time being.”

He pauses.

J: “Come, join me for a moment.”

Vaelyn slings Vermin slayer across his back and steps towards Jasiri and the shrine, seemingly uncomfortable of being near the shrine before him.

V: “What is this? Why are you lighting these candles?”

J: “In memory.”

Jasiri pulls out the bits and bobs that he pulled from Edgar’s house. He begins to weave them together.

J: “The halfling man, Edgar? It didn’t seem to me like he had any family; noone left to remember him. Remembering and honoring the fallen is important in my culture, and the thought that Edgar didn’t have anyone to do so for him didn’t sit well with me.”

He places the new braid on the shrine.

J: “I admit, I don’t know much about your culture. You don’t seem like the sentimental type, but do your people have rites for their fallen?”

Vaelyn looks off into the distance before getting a a hard look in his eye.

V: “We are born with a purpose. For a purpose. There is no room for sentimentality.”

Vaelyn pauses momentarily for thought before continuing.

V: “And Torren and I don’t have a people. In the eyes of the elves, we are an experiment. In the eyes of the world, we are one of the traitorous elves. For hundreds of years, we have paid the price for the mistakes of our ancestors. Much the same as you have I imagine.”

J: “Well. You have a people here, now. Despite… whatever you are in addition to your elven heritage. Despite our moral differences. Despite everything, we are allies now. You are my people. Perhaps one day you will accept us as yours. Perhaps we can form our own rites.”

Jasiri turns to Vaelyn, placing a large paw on his shoulder.

J: “One shouldn’t be alone. Not so far from home.”

Vaelyn looks up, meeting Jasiri’s eye.

V: “The last time I trusted someone other than my brother, someone Torren cares about ended up dead. If you do anything that harms me or Torren, I have no problems putting you in the ground.”

Vaelyn starts to turn away before looking back at Jasiri.

V: “If we are truly allies, why do you always seem to be watching me? You followed me after getting to Jorren’s Rest. And the look you gave after diagnosing Torken was meaningful to say the least.”

J: “We both know why. I told you that I would keep your secret as long you wish to keep it. Still, I watch because we are in the early days of our alliance, and although I have an idea as to what you are, I don’t how or why.”

Jasiri smirks.

J: “I’m sure that when the time is right, or you come trust us, you’ll explain your affliction. In the meantime…”

His smirk evolves into a cocky chuckle.

J: “I’ll enjoy the thought of you attempting to best me.”

The hint of a frown crosses Vaelyn’s face as Jasiri laughs.

V: “Yes, you know of my ‘affliction’ as you so delicately put it. My question is how. The next person we come across with your ‘discerning’ eye may not be quite so understanding. And if that person were to find out you knowingly traveled with someone with my ‘affliction’… Well, it wouldn’t end well for you. At least most of the others can plead ignorance.”

His smirk dissipates to a look of understanding.

J: “If I’m honest, I’m not sure how I knew. I just did. Call it a gift I suppose. As long as you aren’t a problem to any of our allies, our shipmates or any innocents, then you have my word that if anyone takes issue with what you are, I will stand with you.”

He pauses for a moment, after a thought.

J: “I believe the others would as well. Stand with you. Course it’s easier if you tell them. The Captain as well. Much easier to defend a crewmates if they know what they’re defending them from. Something to consider.”

Vaelyn looks down and begins talking softly. Loud enough that Jasiri hears, but almost as if he is talking to himself.

V: “I am not so sure they would so readily accept it as you have. There is a reason the undead belong in the same group as monsters.”

J: “We all carry monsters within us Vaelyn, and this is a reasonable bunch. I have faith in them, in us, and in you.”

V: “Where did this blind faith come from? We have know each other for a matter of days and already you are willing to put your life at risk by traveling with me. And you already know the others so well you believe them to be worthy of trust? Trust is not something to be given blindly.”

J: “Why not? We all have something to lose, and a lot more to gain, but only if we work together. We all need to be able to rely on each other, especially in a place like this. I don’t have much to put faith into at the moment, it might as well be all of you.”

V: “Very well. I hope your faith is not misplaced. You have given me much to think about.”

Vaelyn turns and walks out the door.

Jasiri calls after him.

J: “Vaelyn? Thanks for carrying the sword!”

He chuckles again, turning back to continue working on the shrine.